


Attention Deficit

by Rocky_T



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-10-22 10:30:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17660987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rocky_T/pseuds/Rocky_T
Summary: Somebody's feeling a little neglected now that Voyager is back home.





	Attention Deficit

**Author's Note:**

> Another answer to Seema's "It's not always about you" challenge.  
> Originally written and posted in December 2004.

_"But you'd be the guest of honor--*you're* the one everyone is waiting to see! You're famous!"  
\--Holo-Barclay to Seven in "Inside Man"_

No sooner had the door to their apartment closed behind them than Seven turned to Chakotay in a cold fury. "What was the meaning of this?"

"What are you referring to?" he asked warily.

"Dragging me out of the party like that, announcing we needed to leave without even asking if I wanted to go. Which I did not."

He sighed and threw his jacket over the back of the nearest chair. "I wanted to get you out of there before you embarrassed yourself further."

"I did not embarrass myself." She thought back disdainfully on the behavior of some of the other attendees. "I am well aware my systems do not metabolize alcohol well; I only consumed mineral water."

"That wasn't what I meant." Under his breath Chakotay muttered, "Though at least that would have been a valid excuse…" A little louder, he said, "You had already insulted enough people."

"I did no such thing. I merely stated I saw no reason why--" she reconsidered what she had originally intended to say. "Why so much fuss was made over Ensign Kim's promotion, for one thing. At last count, Starfleet has 12.2 million officers. Simple mathematics, let alone logic, dictates promotions occur on a regular basis. Hundreds per day, on average. But from the way people were acting this evening, one would think no individual has ever made lieutenant before."

"Harry was an ensign for seven years."

"And the average rate of promotion is 3.3 years. I fail to see why various dignitaries stated they were 'proud' of him, when it took him more than twice as long to achieve his rank as--"

"You're missing the point, Seven," Chakotay said, in the same tiredly patient voice he used so often with her these days, the one she was growing to hate. "Harry accomplished a lot on our journey, he was a vital member of our crew."

"Captain--I mean, Admiral--Janeway could have promoted him at any time during our years in the Delta Quadrant. That she did not choose to do so reflects unfavorably on Mr. Kim's record."

Chakotay shook his head. "The Captain could hardly keep to a regular schedule of promotions out there. Over the course of seventy years, by the time we'd make it home it would have been with a shipload of captains, if not admirals." He chuckled at his own joke, then quickly sobered. "Almost no one was promoted--"

"Tuvok and Tom Paris were."

"Tom was restored to his original field rank, after having been busted down to ensign as a punishment. You know that. And as for Tuvok, he had earned his promotion before _Voyager_ left for the Badlands; it was also a recognition of his seniority on board the ship." He looked at her thoughtfully. "I thought Harry was a friend of yours. Why is his finally getting what he deserved bothering you so much?"

Why indeed. She had no answer for the irritation rising inside her. "It is not the promotion itself, it is the attention paid to it. Not that there is any sense to any of the attention and 'hoopla', as Mr. Paris described it, of our homecoming."

Chakotay smiled. "Well, you certainly didn't expect them to ignore it, did you? A ship, lost for years in the farthest reaches of the galaxy…"

"We were not lost," Seven pointed out. "We knew where we were, even though Starfleet Command did not--for a brief period of time. _Voyager_ 's initial contact with the Alpha Quadrant occurred only a few years into the journey, and regular contact was established and maintained for the last several months via Pathfinder. None of that constitutes being 'lost.' And 70,000 light years is hardly the 'farthest reaches'---"

"In terms of actual distance compared to the size of the galaxy, no, you're right," he said, coming over to where she stood by the window, gazing out at the lights of San Francisco Bay. "But considering how far the Federation and its allies have been able to penetrate--not to mention that under normal circumstances it would have taken us seventy years to return home--"

"The Borg regularly traverse such distances--"

"Because they have transwarp capability. And we don't--yet." He put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a little squeeze. "Come on, Seven, surely you can see this is a novel situation."

She resisted the sudden impulse to push him away and instead nodded grudgingly. 

Chakotay continued. "So it's only natural the crew which accomplished this 'never been done before feat' is the center of so much hoopla right now. It may not be strictly logical, but it is understandable." His smile vanished. "It'll die down soon enough, and then we can all ease back into obscurity. I don't know about you, but I for one will be glad when the spotlight fades and we can go on with our lives."

"I can understand why the Captain has received so much attention, as she was responsible for the lives and welfare of the crew, but as far as the others are concerned…"

"Yes?" A new note, one she could not identify, was in his tone.

"Naomi Wildman. Surely a young girl--not even a member of the crew--does not warrant so much notice."

"It's a human interest story: born in the DQ, never saw her father, and now she and her mother are reunited with him."

"And what of Tom Paris?" Seven challenged him. "He is no child, and he certainly had had contact with his father before. In fact, I was under the impression they had not parted on good terms before _Voyager_ 's mission, so why such interest in their reunion?"

"Leaving aside his contributions to our success--we wouldn't have made it home without him--he's the son of an Admiral. Not just any Admiral, but the one in charge of the Pathfinder project. And it's precisely because Tom and his father were at odds earlier that made their reunion and reconciliation so much sweeter."

"Everyone can be viewed as having a story, then," Seven said, not bothering to keep the sarcasm from her voice.

"Yes, exactly."

"But the focus is not even. More attention is being paid to some than to others."

"Well, obviously. As you yourself stated, the Captain had the overall responsibility, so naturally she's receiving the lion's share of the kudos right now."

"That is not what I meant," she said tightly.

"Then what?"

"Not all individuals are receiving an equal share. In fact, some are practically ignored."

Chakotay looked at her as if he had never seen her before. "What are you talking about?"

"At the reception we just left. It could not have escaped your notice how the reporters swarmed around certain individuals, while leaving others alone."

"Tuvok, as a Vulcan, was uncomfortable and the media was honoring his request to be left alone."

"That is not what I meant." She took a deep breath. "I was the subject of many stares, but very few came to speak with me."

Chakotay said swiftly, "If you're feeling self-conscious, you have to realize many people still have bad associations with the Borg--"

"That is not what I meant either. Those people weren't afraid of me, they were ignoring me! Why, even the Maquis received more attention than I did."

" _Even_ the Maquis?"

"Yes! What did they ever do for _Voyager_ , compared to what I achieved?"

"You've got to be kidding," he said incredulously. "If it weren't for the Maquis, _Voyager_ would never have survived the initial encounter with the Kazon!"

"Chakotay, I am aware of your particular role in sacrificing your ship, but that is hardly--"

"And what about B'Elanna as chief engineer?" he cut in. "She kept the engines and all the ship's systems running for years before you ever joined us. Ayala, Gerron, Dalby, Henley, Chell--every single person at one time or other made a vital contribution!"

"And what of Seska, Jonas, Suder?" Seven countered. "Did they also contribute to _Voyager_ 's well-being?"

"That was uncalled for." Chakotay paused, visibly fighting to get his temper under control. "But since you brought it up, yes. Suder gave his life to retake _Voyager_ from the Kazon. And both Seska and Jonas, before they were revealed as traitors, also made a difference in the early years of our journey."

"I'm sure."

"They did." Chakotay's dark eyes bored into her. "And let me tell you something else, Seven--every single person who is being honored, including those who did not make it back with us, deserves every bit of attention they're getting now."

She bit back a contemptuous reply and instead regarded him silently. Was it possible he actually believed what he was saying?

"You don't get it, do you?" Chakotay said angrily. "You really think you were more important than everyone else?"

"I did save the ship a number of times."

"You also put it in jeopardy a number of times, from your refusal to follow orders!"

She lifted her chin. "If you're saying my contributions were not important, that I was not important, then why did Captain Janeway go out of her way to save me?"

"Because she would do the same thing for any member of her crew."

"I highly doubt that."

"Read the logs, Seven. It's true. Tuvok, Tom, Harry, me, Kes--it's all documented."

Seven brushed his words away. "But I was the exception--the Captain rescued me on more than one occasion. She risked everything to save me--because she cared for me."

"Yes, she did," Chakotay said, understanding dawning in his expression. He took a step toward her, held out his hand. "Because you were a young child when the Borg assimilated you, because she felt compassion for your situation and wanted to give you the opportunity to rediscover your humanity. And she cut you a lot of slack, maybe more than she should have, because she realized for all your mature physical appearance, inside you were just a frightened little girl." He shook his head. "Even now, sometimes I think emotionally you're still a child."

She backed away from him. "How dare you say that to me?" she exclaimed.

"Because it's true. Look at you now, sulking because you think someone else is getting more attention than you! Denigrating your shipmates because the media has the temerity to focus on somebody else for a change! I've got news for you, Seven, it's not all about you."

She stared at him in shock, unable to come up with a response.

Chakotay turned away abruptly and snatched up his jacket. "This isn't getting us anywhere. I'm going out for a bit. Maybe by the time I come back, we'll have both calmed down and can deal with this like mature adults."

He strode out.

In an impotent rage, Seven snatched up a small vase from the table and threw it at the closed door. The release she felt was short-lived; as she gazed at the shards of crystal and flowers scattered among the puddles of water on the floor, she burst into tears.


End file.
